Sustaining the Heart and Spirit of the Sisters of St. Joseph
When I visit the Sisters of St. Joseph chapel, walk the grounds, or participate in retreats or programs, I feel as though God is there with me.
This sentiment from a retreatant fills us with humility, joy, and hope. As women called to a life of profound union with God and with each other, we seek to be united to Jesus Christ in his love for God, for all people, and for all creation. Since 1650, the mission of Sisters of St. Joseph has been to serve God and all God’s people – each dear neighbor without distinction – wherever we meet them. For more than 350 years, we have responded to the most pressing needs of our times, whatever they might be.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden have served in schools, parishes and hospitals, and ministered as social workers, foster parents, chaplains, consultants, social justice advocates, spiritual directors, artists, counselors, and missionaries throughout the United States and beyond. More than 150 years after making Western Pennsylvania our home, we continue to serve the most vulnerable of God’s people.
The Urgent Needs of the ‘Dear Neighbor’
Our deep trust in God continues to inspire us to respond passionately and compassionately to the needs of today, advancing our good works through ministries that:
- Nurture spirituality
- Care for the environment
- Advocate for justice and peace
- Foster human enrichment
Through our service to all dear neighbors, we become keenly aware of their most urgent needs. By continually working toward a perfect love of God and neighbor, we seek the common good for the whole of society. Although our members may be aging, we are actively working to sustain our mission with individuals and organizations that share our Gospel values of love, peace, justice, compassion, reconciliation, service and community. With these new partners, we are working to engage a new generation. Together, we focus on:
- Food insecurity
- Environmental sustainability
- Immigration reform
- Human trafficking
- Racism
- Spiritual enrichment
We address these challenges through programs as varied as Earth Tones, an on-site ecological ministry that preserves our grounds, produces honey for all-natural products, raises egg-laying hens, and harvests produce to alleviate food insecurity in the county; Pets with Heart, which teams Sisters and therapy dogs to provide comfort to people of all ages; and young adult programming, which not only brings together Catholics seeking to strengthen their faith, but also spiritually diverse young adults whose values resonate with the Sisters.
Our historic Motherhouse and grounds (one of the largest privately owned green spaces in Beaver County) are beacons of hope for what is possible. Nestled in a beautiful natural setting, our Baden campus is home to our retired Sisters. It also provides a peaceful space for guests seeking renewal and a natural landscape for ecological ministries to flourish.
A Future Filled with Hope
From our spiritual and physical “heart” in Baden, we envision a flourishing hub of emerging programs that not only preserves this sacred space and cares holistically for our Sisters, but also advances the mission and values that we hold dearly and compel us to engage with our neighbors wherever we live and serve. We actively seek collaborative ways to serve God and the dear neighbor without distinction.
Be Part of Our Vision
Our zeal for advancing our mission far exceeds our financial resources, and we humbly recognize that realizing a future of hope means depending ever more on the financial, human, and prayerful resources of our partners in mission to help meet today’s major challenges. Furthermore, our strength has never been in our numbers alone, but in the many co-apostles who choose to support our mission, vision and values.
As one donor expressed, “The mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph is pure. The need is present. There is much more work out there to do than what the Sisters can accomplish alone.” We are therefore energized by all of God’s people, young and old, who want to create a world of wholeness and holiness with us.
In this grace-filled moment in our history, we believe we are called to advance our mission with a lasting legacy in Baden where we are rooted spiritually and physically. We fully believe that our Baden campus will continue to flourish as the heart and spirit of our community life as home for our Sisters and a center of hospitality for our many guests. We also envision our campus as a gathering place for our neighbors; as a place that supports multi-purpose, intergenerational and interfaith needs; and a shared workspace where our partners can create new programs that will address emerging needs in the community.
Our current ministry areas of Ecology, Spirituality, and Peace and Justice serve as a springboard for enriching humanity and radiating hope to a broken world, and in the pages that follow, you’ll learn about programs and activities within each ministry that, with your help, will allow us to reach more neighbors in need and carry God’s love into more neighborhoods.
As we move forward, we will continue to be inspired by the joy, zeal and humility of the Sisters who came before us. We invite you to join us as partners in mission and be inspired as well.
For more information about how you can support our mission and ministries, contact:
Lisa Conti
Donor Development and Grants Officer
724-869-6591
lconti@stjoseph-baden.org
